IMPROVING BASIC EDUCATION: HEARING THE SILENCED VOICES OF TEACHERS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This article aimed at providing an overview of the findings of a joint research project of several Swiss and Brazilians institutions on Brazilian basic education. In Brazil, teaching is governed by the Law of Directives and Foundations of National Education (LDB) stipulating that Brazilian schooling has a compulsory length of nine years of teaching. To measure the progress in basic education of the nation as a whole the Basic Education Development index was created by the Brazilian Education Minister. The measurement results showed that quantitative development of schooling in Brazil needs to go hand in hand with a concern regarding the quality of education. Besides, analysis indicated necessity of taking into account structural factors along with the contributions of fundamental participants, especially teachers. Several teachers’ opinions concerning with current situation were gained. First, in dealing with their profession, Brazilian teachers considered that they were lack of social recognition, had incomplete training, and earned insufficient salary. Second, concerning with school, there were distant school-family relations; politicalpedagogical project was too far removed from the day-to-day; accountability was especially at the administrative level. Third, in connection with class, situations covered solitude of the teachers, many teachers had given up, and social and familial difficulties of the students. Key words: Basic education, teacher, hearing the silence voices